Roaster Fundamentals
A recent email said it best: “Based on your reviews of the roasters, it looks like you do not love any of them.” Hmm … there is some truth in that comment. Derek and I field the emails from customers about roaster problems. We know from daily communiqués that roasters can be as much frustration as joy. Maybe we see more of the problems since we troubleshoot for customers all the time. Or maybe Sweet Maria’s is staffed by bitterly pessimistic nay-sayers! No, that’s not true. But we try to offer information in a way we would like to read it if we were customers. We want the downside along with the upside, not just the typical huckster’s sales pitch: buy, buy, buy! None of the small roasters are perfect. None of them are as reliable or long lasting as your basic toaster. Granted, if your toaster was 40 degrees off, or toasted in 4 minutes instead of 6 minutes, I am not sure if you could taste the difference. Back 100 years ago home roasting was fairly common, and home roasters were mechanical devices used on a stove or with charcoal or gas. Modern home roasters are fairly new to the market and not mass-produced on the scale of microwaves or toasters, so we find more flaws in both manufacture and design than other gadgets. Home roasting is a “DIY” venture at its core, and that means home roasting is a hobby that requires some tinkering; experimenting with coffees to get the best roast, trying a new coffee when an old favorite has run out, etc. Fundamentally, people choose to home roast because they cannot find the coffee they like elsewhere. They like the process of choosing different beans, roasting to their liking and trying a varietyA botanical variety is a rank in the taxonomic hierarchy below the rank of species and subspecies and above the rank of form (form / variety / subspecies... ...more of different origins. By and large, from our experience and the feedback from hundred of customers, home roast machines need some fiddling to get the roast right, plus you need some experience with various beans to know, for example, how differently decafs will roast, or how a dry processed coffee will have an uneven appearance. There is not one way to home roast, and ultimately the arbiter of the flavor is your own palette (no matter what Tom says in his reviews). There is no need to “move up” to a “real” roaster from a hot air popper – not if you are getting good results and the size of the hot air popper works for you. Yes, the more complexThe co-presence of many aroma and flavor attributes, with multiple layers. A general impression of a coffee, similar to judgments such as "balanced" or "structured" ...more machines like the Hearthware iRoast give you more control over the process (or at least ought to). But the fundamental fact that you use good quality coffee, and roast it and drink it within a few days will give you better flavor than what you can generally find either in the supermarket or even most coffee shops. What if you really love Dunkin Donuts coffee? (There are LOTS of people who do) I would say go to Dunkin Donuts and drink their coffee, and don’t bother with home roasting. But if you are disappointed with the coffee that is commercially available – or if are looking for something different that you can make yourself than do-it-yourself home roasting is probably right up your alley. -Maria
Kenya’s Coming – Cupping
Cupping is a method of tasting coffee by steeping grounds in separate cups for discrete amounts of ground coffee, to reveal good flavors and defects to their fullest.... ...more the 2006 Main Crop Auction Lots
What a grueling job; cup testing 20 Auction Lot Kenyas every Monday for the Tuesday morning international auctions. If the notion that personal progress is limited to “exchanging one set of problems for what is essentially a better set of problems”, then the task of cupping Kenyas is a pretty fine job! The problems arise in the fact that KenyaKenya is the East African powerhouse of the coffee world. Both in the cup, and the way they run their trade, everything is topnotch.: Kenya is the East... ...more is the Pontiac GTO of East Africa in a field of Pintos and Pacers. Okay, that is unfair … all Kenyas are not muscle rippled coffees, all other East Africans are not wimpy rubber-band-powered lightweights. To put this in perspective, I remind myself that the 20 lots I cup are screened in Nairobi by the exporting agent, who has only forwarded a hand-picked selection of over 150 lots in the auction for that week. Cupping 150 Kenyas … is that a “better set of problems” or a prelude to palate suicide!? Any table of Kenyas can potentially result in palate-fatigue sooner than any other coffee producing originIn coffee talk, it refers to a coffee-producing region or country; such as, "I was just at origin." Of course "Origin" for most product we use is not... ...more. In particular, the acidity
Acidity is a positive flavor attribute in coffee, also referred to as brightness or liveliness. It adds a brilliance to the cup, whereas low acid coffees can seem... ...more and aftertasteAftertaste refers to lingering residual sensations in the mouth after coffee has swallowed. It might be distinguished from "finish" which is the final sensations of the coffee while... ...more of Kenyas can be so potent that one cup evaluation interferes with the next, and after one pass of the table, you need to take a break. A cupperOne who cups, or tastes and evaluates, coffee.: A cupper is a person who performs the somewhat formal analysis of coffee quality, called cupping. See the definition of... ...more must “economize” tasting to save the palate; after the break (where we push the floating “crust” of grinds down into the hot water), I wait 2 minutes until the cups cool a tad, then hit each one real quick with the cupping spoonA cupping spoon is specifically designed for the tasting procedure of the same name, cupping. It is similar to some bouillon spoons or gumbo spoons, and features (usually)... ...more to get a basic flavor impression. Then I sit back and relax for a few minutes, and make another pass to confirm my initial impressions. All Kenyas have positive aroma
Aroma refers to sensations perceived by the olfactory bulb and conveyed to the brain; whether through the nose or "retro-nasally": The aromatics of a coffee greatly influence its... ...more and flavor attributes, but a great lot will jump out at you even on an aboveaverage table. I have cupped about 12 weeks of auctions so far this year, and found streaks of brilliance among the average-good tables of coffee. The first arrival, Gaturine PeaberryA peaberry is a green coffee "bean" that has a rounded form: Coffee is the dried seed from the fruit of a flowering tree - each fruit having... ...more from the Meru district, is nothing short of phenomenal at a City+City+ roast is an ideal roast level that occurs roughly between 425 and 435 degrees Fahrenheit in many coffee roasters with a responsive bean probe where First Crack... ...more roast. In general, early auctions have been better than anticipated, and there have been some very fine Peaberry
The Spanish-language term for Peaberry is the same for "snail". See Peaberry for more information on the single bean fruit of the coffee tree. A peaberry is the... ...more lots that do not attract the bidding attention on Tuesday of the AA lots. While Europeans will bid a highly citric, acidic Kenya through the roof, there seems to be consensus among Asian (particularly Japanese) that their market does not go goo-goo for super-bright Kenyas. Good for us, bad for them; a Kenya without acidity is like a car powering that GTO with the Pinto engine … what’s the point? Even among our customers, we have confusion about the positive aspects of acidity. Those who have read my many articles on the subject already know; acidity in fine coffee is like sparkle in Champagne. This is not the acidity that burns the stomach (remember, Robusta
Ateng is a common name for Catimor coffees widely planted in Sumatra and other Indonesia isles.: Ateng, with several subtypes, is a common name for Catimor coffees widely... ...more has twice the pH as good arabicaArabica refers to Coffea Arabica, the taxonomic species name of the genus responsible for around 75% of the worlds commercial coffee crop.: Arabica refers to Coffea Arabica, the... ...more). I concede that a Kenya will affect you if you have no food in your stomach, more so than a fine low-acid Arabica like Java
There are several types of Abyssinia, but they are not from Ethiopia but rather Indonesia. Abyssinia 3 = AB3. PJS Cramer, a Dutch plant researcher, introduced this variety in 1928,... ...more EstateA "coffee estate" is used to imply a farm that has its own processing facility, a wet-mill. In Spanish this is called an Hacienda. A Finca (farm) does... ...more. But acidity in Kenya is a flavor element; research finds that it is not only a diverse array of acidity, it is their particular interaction when combined that distinguishes an exemplary Kenya from the ordinary. You might have a higher concentration overall of acetic, chlorogenic, citric, lactic, malic, glutaric, oxalic, quinic, succinic, and tartaric acidsMany acids contribute to coffee flavor: acetic, malic, citric, quinic, tartaric, phosphoric, etc.: Many acids contribute to coffee flavor; malic, citric, quinic, tartaric, phosphoric, etc. See Acidity or... ...more (and add to that another 50 or so present in Kenyas!) but quantity tells you little about the cup. It is the particular way these acids combine and interact with each other, our ability to extract these delicate, volatile components in brewing and our ability to sense them. That’s the joy of Kenya; fleeting sensations of volatile acids, as well as the aldehydes
An important factor in coffee aromatics, partially formed in roasting by the interaction of fatty acids and oxygen: Along with Ketones, Aldehydes are an important factor in coffee... ...more, esters
An ester is an often fragrant organic or partially organic compound formed by the reaction between an acid (including amino acids) and an alcohol. They play a smaller... ...more, furansFurans are important contributors to coffee aroma, contributing to sweet, nutty, fruity or caramel-like smells. They are derived mainly from sucrose and Polysaccharides during roasting, a product of... ...more, ketonesAlong with Aldehydes, Ketones are important carbonyl compound that contribute over 20% to coffee aromatics. Formed from carbohydrates in the roast process, they result in aroma and flavor... ...more, phenolsA compound in coffee that at high levels contributes to negative flavors, but can have positive aspects as well: Phenols are a set of organic compounds, relatively stable,... ...more lipids and other flavor compounds. I know little of these things; just enough to appreciate that what I am sensing in the cup is anchored to a deep and intricate root pattern, a rhizome of chemical constituents that would take another college degree and quite a fancy lab to really understand. -Tom
Sweet Maria’s Coffee
1115 21st Street, Oakland CA 94607
web: www.sweetmarias.com
email: [email protected]
Sweet Maria’s Green Coffee
Green coffee refers to the processed seed of the coffee tree fruit. Coffee is a flowering shrub that produces fruit. The seeds of the fruit are processed, roasted,... ...more Offering List
April 10, 2006 – check the web page for the latest list
Central American 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 10 Lb 20 lb
Costa RicaCosta Rican coffee is typically very clean, sweet, with lots of floral accents. hey are prized for their high notes: bright citrus or berry-like flavors in the acidity,... ...more Dota – Conquistador $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $41.50 $77.00
Costa Rica Tres Rios -La Magnolia $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $40.67 $75.46
El SalvadorEl Salvador coffee had an undeservingly poor reputation for years, marred mostly by the inability to deliver coffee of high quality in an unstable political climate. Unfortunately, agriculture... ...more Finca
Spanish 101: Finca is the Spanish word for farm. Sometimes the term Hacienda is used to imply an Estate, which would mean the farm has its own wet-mill.... ...more El Carmen $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $40.67 $75.46
GuatemalaGuatemalan coffee is considered a top quality coffee producer in Central America. Due to our proximity to Guatemala, some of the nicest coffees from this origin come to... ...more Coban FTOFTO is shorthand for a coffee that is certified as both Fair Trade and Organic. ...more Marago. $5.50 $10.45 $23.93 $45.65 $84.70
Guatemala Huehue. -La Maravilla $5.10 $9.69 $22.19 $42.33 $78.54
Honduras
Honduran coffee was absent from the top ranks of the Specialty market, but that has changed. It has all the environmental factors on its side: soil, altitude, climate.... ...more Cup of Exc. -El Mirador $5.40 $10.26 $23.49 $44.82 $83.16
Honduras Cup of Exc. -Nueve Pos. $5.40 $10.26 $23.49 $44.82 $83.16
Nicaragua
Nicaraguan coffees from the Segovia, Jinotega, Ocotal and Matagalpa regions are nice balanced cups. They often possess interesting cup character along with body and balance, outperforming many other... ...more PacamaraAs the name implies, Pacamara is a large bean cultivar, a cross between Pacas and Maragogype with unique flavor properties. This variant originated in El Salvador in 1958,... ...more Peaberry $6.10 $11.59 $26.54 $50.63 $93.94
South American 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 10 Lb 20 lb
BoliviaBolivia has always been a coffee origin with great potential, the potential to have a unique Specialty coffee offering with unique cup character.: There's no better way to... ...more Org. Peaberry de Montana $4.80 $9.12 $20.88 $39.84 $73.92
Bolivia Cup of Exc. – Pico de Tucan $7.90 1 lb limit
BrazilBrazil is a coffee giant . As Frank Sinatra sang, "they grow an awful lot of coffee in Brazil".: Brazil is a coffee giant . As Frank Sinatra... ...more FazendaFazenda is the Portuguese word for farm, hence it is the term used in Brazil. Fazenda is not a coffee-specific term. ...more Brauna Peaberry $5.10 $9.69 $22.19 $42.33 $78.54
Brazil Carmo de Minas – Aprocam $5.40 $10.26 $23.49 $44.82 $83.16
Brazil Cup of Exc. – Naz. Dias Per. $7.30 $13.87 $31.76 $60.59 $112.42
Brazil Cerrado 5th -Faz. Pantano $5.70 $10.83 $24.80 $47.31 $87.78
Brazil Fazenda Ipanema “Dulce” $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $40.67 $75.46
Brazil Org. Camocim – Yellow Icatu
Icatu is a cultivar that was developed in Brazil, has high production and good disease resistance. It has robusta inputs, and has been back-crossed with arabica cultivars to... ...more $5.40 $10.26 $23.49 $44.82 $83.16
ColombiaColombian coffee is highly marketed and widely available in the US. They have been largely successful at equating the name Colombian Coffee with "Good" Coffee. This is half-true.... ...more Huila San Jose de Isnos $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $41.50 $77.00
Colombia Narino –Car. del Abuelo $4.80 $9.12 $20.88 $39.84 $73.92
Colombia Org. -Mesa de los Santos $5.10 $9.69 $22.19 $42.33 $78.54
Colombia Org.-Reserva Don Telmo $5.60 $10.64 $24.36 $46.48 $86.24
Colombia Cauca FNCThe FNC is the Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia, the coffee association of Colombia. They fund CENICAFE research institute, which has an extensive cultivar collection. ...more ExcelsoA Colombian coffee grade referring to screen size of 15-16. In the traditional bulk Arabica business, Excelso is a step below the large bean Supremo grade, which indicates... ...more $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $40.67 $75.46
PeruPeruvian coffees have Central American brightness but in a South American coffee flavor package overall. The good organic lots do have more of a "rustic" coffee character.: Organic... ...more OrganicGrown without the use of artificial fertilizers, herbicides, etc.: Organic coffee has been grown according to organic farming techniques, typically without the use of artificial fertilizers. Some farms... ...more El Guabo $5.20 $9.88 $22.62 $43.16 $80.08
African- Arabian 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 10 Lb 20 lb
EthiopiaEthiopia, formerly known as Abyssinia, or a coffee cultivar: Ethiopia, or more specifically the Empire under Haile Selassie, was known as Abyssinia. The name is Latin, derived from... ...more Dry-Process Ghimbi $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $40.67 $75.46
Ethiopia Harar Horse Lot 19 $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $40.67 $75.46
Ethiopia FTO Yirgacheffe Oromia $5.20 $9.88 $22.62 $43.16 $80.08
Kenya 705 -Gaturine Peaberry $5.50 $10.45 $23.93 $45.65 $84.70
RwandaA Bourbon cultivar variant from Rwanda and Burundi. Bourbon coffees are named for the island in the India Ocean where French colonists grew it. Some history from the... ...more Gatare Grade A $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $41.50 $77.00
TanzaniaIn terms of the Tanzania coffee character, it belongs to the Central/East African family of washed (wet-processed) coffees, bright (acidy), and mostly aggressively flavorful of which Kenya is... ...more AA Songea $5.10 $9.69 $22.19 $42.33 $78.54
UgandaWhile Arabica was introduced at the beginning of the 1900's, Robusta coffee is indigenous to the country, and has been a part of Ugandan life for centuries. The... ...more Organic Bugisu $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $40.67 $75.46
YemenYemen has a coffee culture like no other place, and perhaps some of what we enjoy in this cup is due to their old style of trade...: Technically,... ...more MokhaThe Yemeni type of coffee, both in terms of the family of cultivars planted there, and the general trade name.: Mokha Yemeni type of coffee, both in terms... ...more Sana’ani $6.40 $12.16 $29.76 $53.12 $102.40
ZambiaFrom the country formerly known as upper Rhodesia in a country now named for the Zambezi River, Zambian coffees range from Kenya-like brightness to subtle, balanced coffee with... ...more AA+ Lupili Estate $5.10 $9.69 $22.19 $42.33 $78.54
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe, formerly known as lower Rhodesia until independence in 1980, has produced great coffee since production was introduced in the 1960s. Like Zambian coffees, these coffees are often... ...more AAA – Dandoni Estate $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $40.67 $75.46
Indonesian- Indian 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 10 Lb 20 lb
IndiaIndian coffees are under-represented in the coffee market: they are good balanced, mild coffees. You will find the pronounced body, low acidity and subtle spicy notes pleasing, and... ...more Dewan Estate Kohinoor AA $4.80 $9.12 $20.88 $39.84 $73.92
India Matadakad Estate Peaberry $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $41.50 $77.00
India Monsooned Malabar Elephant $5.40 $10.26 $23.49 $44.82 $83.16
Indonesia
USDA is (obviously) the United States Department of Agriculture. USDA also had coffee plant breeding programs in the past and one variety they distributed to Indonesia and was... ...more FloresFlores is an Indonesian island, and as a coffee bears more resemblance to the coffees of Timor-Leste, New Guinea and Java than to the wet-hulled coffees of Sumatra... ...more Bajawa Highlands $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $40.67 $75.46
Java Private Estate – Type: Prince $4.80 $9.12 $20.88 $39.84 $73.92
Java Government Estate – Djampit $5.20 $9.88 $22.62 $43.16 $80.08
Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea (PNG) occupies the eastern half of the island it shares with the Indonesian province of Irian Jaya, part of Indonesia. The two primary areas for... ...more – Arokara AA $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $40.67 $75.46
Papua New Guinea -Kimel $4.90 $9.31 $21.32 $40.67 $75.46
SulawesiSulawesi coffees are low-acid with great body and that deep, brooding cup profile akin to Sumatra. The coffee is sometimes known as Celebes, which was the Dutch colonial... ...more Wet-Process TOARCO $5.30 $10.07 $23.06 $43.99 $81.62
Sulawesi Toraja Grade One $5.10 $9.69 $22.19 $42.33 $78.54
SumatraIndonesians are available as a unique wet-hulled or dry-hulled (washed) coffees. Giling Basah is the name for the wet-hulling process in Bahasa language, and will have more body... ...more Aged MandhelingA trade name used for wet-hulled Sumatra coffees. It is an area and a culture group as well (spelled Mandailing often) but there is not as much coffee... ...more $6.00 $11.40 $26.10 $49.80 $92.40
Sumatra Iskandar Triple-Pick $6.00 $11.40 $26.10 $49.80 $92.40
Sumatra Classic Mandheling $4.80 $9.12 $20.88 $39.84 $73.92
Sumatra Organic Gayo
Gayo is ethnic group from the area of Aceh Sumatra around Lake Takengon. They use the name Gayo Coffee to market their production. The Acehnese are a different... ...more Mountain $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $41.50 $77.00
Sumatra TimTim
Hibrido de Timor abbreviated HdT is the interspecies hybrid of C. Arabica and C. Canephora (Robusta) that was found in Timor Leste in the 1940s. It has been... ...more Blangili LongBean $5.90 $11.21 $25.67 $48.97 $90.86
TimorTimor-Leste (East Timor) is a tiny island between Australia and Sulawesi, annexed by Indonesia and liberated in a referendum several years ago. Small scale coffee farming was jump-started... ...more FTO Peaberry $4.80 $9.12 $20.88 $39.84 $73.92
Islands- Blends -Etc. 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 10 Lb 20 lb
HawaiiThe Kona district on the big island of Hawaii produces the best coffee from this state - clean, sweet and mild. : Ah, Hawaii... what a nice place.... ...more KonaKona coffee comes from farms along the Kona Coast on the Big Island of Hawaii: Kona coffee comes from farms along the Kona Coast on the Big Island... ...more – Kowali Farm $16.60 $31.87 $77.19 5 lb limit
Hawaii Kona – Moki’s Farm $16.90 $32.45 $78.59 5 lb limit
Hawaii Kona – Mountain Thunder $16.80 $32.26 $78.12 5 lb limit
Hawaii Kona – Purple Mountain $16.00 $30.72 $74.40 5 lb limit
Puerto RicoPuerto Rican coffee has the typical"island profile". These coffees, which include Jamaica and Kona, have a soft cup, not acidic, balanced, and mild. : I have tried other... ...more AA Yauco Selecto $11.40 $21.89 $53.01 5 lb limit
SM’s Moka Kadir Blend $5.60 $10.64 $24.36 $46.48 $86.24
SM’s EspressoA small coffee beverage, about 20 ml, prepared on an espresso machine where pressurized hot water extracted through compressed coffee.: In its most stripped-down, basic form, this is... ...more Monkey Blend $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $41.50 $77.00
SM’s Classic Italian Espresso $4.80 $9.12 $20.88 $39.84 $73.92
SM’s Decaf Espresso Blend $5.60 $10.64 $24.36 $46.48 $86.24
SM’s Liquid Amber Espresso Blend $5.30 $10.07 $23.06 $43.99 $81.62
SM’s French RoastSugars are heavily caramelized (read as burned) and are degraded; the woody bean structure is carbonizing, the seed continues to expand and loose mass, the body of the... ...more Blend $5.00 $9.50 $21.75 $41.50 $77.00
SM’s Puro Scuro Blend $5.40 $10.26 $23.49 $44.82 $83.16
SM’s Roasted French ChicoryChicory was a popular coffee substitute and economizer for 2 centuries, back when coffee was more prized, and pure coffee was a luxury. : Chicory was a popular... ...more $4.80 $9.12 $20.88 $39.84 $73.92
Decafs 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 10 Lb 20 lb
Brazil Mogiana WP Decaf $5.10 $9.69 $22.19 $42.33 $78.54
Colombia WP Decaf $5.40 $10.26 $23.49 $44.82 $83.16
Costa Rica SHB WP Decaf $5.50 $10.45 $23.93 $45.65 $84.70
El Salvador Las Ranas WP Decaf $5.20 $9.88 $22.62 $43.16 $80.08
Ethiopian WP Decaf (Sidamo) $5.60 $10.64 $24.36 $46.48 $86.24
Guatemala Huehueo WP Decaf $5.60 $10.64 $24.36 $46.48 $86.24
IndonesianOrgSWP Komodo Blend $5.90 $11.21 $25.67 $48.97 $90.86
Java WP Decaf $5.40 $10.26 $23.49 $44.82 $83.16
Kenya WP Decaf $5.90 $11.21 $25.67 $48.97 $90.86
Nicaragua Matagalpa WP Decaf $5.50 $10.45 $23.93 $45.65 $84.70
Sulawesi Toraja WP Decaf $5.90 $11.21 $25.67 $48.97 $90.86
Sumatra Mandheling WP Decaf $5.70 $10.83 $24.80 $47.31 $87.78
Premium Robustas 1 lb 2 lb 5 lb 10 Lb 20 lb
Indian RobustaRobusta usually refers to Coffea Robusta, responsible for roughly 25% of the world's commercial coffee. Taxonomy of Robusta is debated: some sources use “Robusta” to refer to any... ...more AA – Sethuraman $4.40 $8.36 $19.14 $36.52 $67.76
Indian Robusta – Sethuraman PB $4.70 $8.93 $20.45 $39.01 $72.38
